Sonship in the story of the prodigal son
Submitted by Ford Prefect on January 20 2001 05:06:24
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A lot of what I think about sonship comes from the parable of the prodigal son. In this parable, the younger son comes to a point where he believes his fortune is to be achieved outside his father's house. He goes off to seek it in ways that prove to be empty and futile. Instead of undreamed of treasure he finds starvation and desperation. He eventually comes to his senses and realizes he had all he ever needed in his father's home. He returns, fully believing he'd forsaken his sonship and that it was lost forever. He prepares a speech to give to his father asking to be treated as a hired hand rather than as a son. But what happens? The father has never thought of the boy as anything but his son. When he sees him, he doesn't wait for or even want to hear the speech. He immediately lets the boy know that he's still his son, has always been and will always be. The boy never had to choose to be his father's son (he was in fact already that from birth), but he did have to recognize who he was, want it and claim it. The father, who let the boy go, never gave up on him. He wanted the boy's love and he wanted to give the boy his love, but he knew he couldn't force it on him. Meanwhile, the elder son throws a fit. He's remained faithful all this time, but thinking he had to earn his father's love each day by being dutiful. He's horrified at the younger boy's treatment since it contradicts his own belief. He (not the father) disowns his brother by referring to him as "this son of yours" rather than as "my brother." The father lets the older son know that he's never needed to earn his love, that it's been a gift all along and will continue to be so. Beyond that, I believe we are called to become like the father in our relationships with others, giving freely, not with expectation of return but with the realization that others have the freedom to accept or reject our gifts. ---Ford |
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